t410 post-sale CPU upgrade?

Hey everyone, i just purchased the lenovo t410 laptop a couple days ago. I went with the i5 540m (2.43ghz) processor. I realized today that the i7 above it was the 2.66 variant which would help me. I can't really afford to pay another 150$ right now but could down the road. Does lenovo do post-sale upgrades on stuff like that? and if not, has anyone done it themselves without any problems?

I'm aware that doing it yourself would void the warranty, so realistically it wouldn't be a good idea to do it in it's first year.

i'll be using the laptop mostly for music production. I'll be using it with alot of very intensive sample libraries (currently I'm maxing out q9650 on my desktop). this isn't meant to be a desktop replacement just the ability to be mobile and still write. I wouldn't need the i7 immediatley but it would give the laptop a couple more years of life.

any input would be most appreciated, thanks.

 

I'd return the laptop and buy a new one with the i7 you like. If you use a decent credit with the purchase, it can take the laptop back without the restocking fee. Otherwise, with the current build quality from Lenovo, it is not too hard to find some fundamental glitch that they will have to take it back without the restocking fee - expect quite some back-n-forth with customer service however.

 

I actually haven't received it yet i placed the order online. would it be possible to call them and ask them to charge me the 150$ difference to add it in? or do you think they'd charge more since the order is already "in process."

 

If it is in process, time is of the essence and perhaps you should just call and ask. It all depends on where the order is currently at, but like I said, you should call asap if there is a chance to get the change you are requesting.

 

Everyone should always call before/while asking us questions. Never hurts to check with Lenovo first.

 

well i tried calling them before i posted here at all, they're only open 9am to 9pm EST, im on the west coast...pretty awesome they dont have 24 hour service btw...

 

Lenovo has 24hr support service, though not sales obviously. When did you order? You probably can edit it but call tomorrow.

 

I ordered late sunday night, so i assume they didnt get to it until yesterday morning. hopefully its still possible.

 

The Core i series of processors are a pretty good upgrade from the Core 2 series. They are very efficient and fast. I have a T410, with the same exact processor (but the i5-540 is 2.53GHz, not 2.43GHz ). I find it more than adequate. I don't know if the processor is soldered onto the motherboard or not. It might be worthwhile to upgrade it in a few years, but honestly for music production you really don't need anything faster.
If you try to cancel your order, you may find an email within a few hours that your order has shipped lol, it's happened to a few here (including myself). It's up to you really. I would personally keep it, but that's me.

 

CPUs on the T series are not soldered, though I don't know that going from an i5 to an i7 is a huge leap. Selling your T410 a few years down the road when CPUs are even better, might be a better choice.

 

hmm interesting. I thought the i5 to i7 would be a huge leap its a dual core hyper threaded to a quad core hyper threaded right?

and actually yeah i meant to type 2.53 must of done .43 on accident ha. How does the i5 540m and i7 620m compare to the performance on a q9650 C2Q?

 

No, it is not quad core. The only quad core models are available on the W series. It is merely HT making 4 logical cores.

 

The i7 quad core is a Core 2 Quad, Clarksfield (not to be confused with the desktop Clarkdale ), built on a 45nm process. It's not a true i7 in the sense that it's not a Core i processor. Intel released those between Core 2 Duo and Core i as a filler. All Core i7's are dual core, the quad cores wont be released until later this year.
There's not much of a difference between i5 and i7 currently.

Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-720QM Clarksfield 1.6GHz 6MB L3 Cache PGA988 45W Quad-Core Mobile Processor

 

Also we're waiting for lower power options too! the Core i processors continue to be confusingly named and marketed though :|.

 

I know... ^ ^ Computer illiterate people automatically assume, whoa, core i7, it must be better than i5 or i3 cause it's a higher number! Intel marketing at it's best. I can show where a standard voltage core i5 (even i3) outperforms a low voltage i7 in benchmarks, but the average layman wouldn't know that and would think it's somehow better.

 

intel with their confusing i5 and i7 branding...

 

oh really? so the i7 620m is a dual core as well? if that's the case it seems like there isn't any reason for me to bother with the upgrade.

If the i5 540m and i7 620m are both dual core processor, then why have the different nomenclature? what's the difference between them?

 

According to this there isn't any significant difference.
Notebookcheck: Mobile Processors - Benchmarklist


Anyways you have 2 options:
1) Call them and ask to change the order (they'll probably do it for you)
2) Cancel the order, as long as you don't receive a *shipping notification* you can cancel the order. (check Lenovo's site for your order status)

 

yeah i think i'll stick with the i5 540m. the performance difference isn't worth the price difference.

on a different note, how much bloatware comes on the t410? I was always planning on doing a fresh format of it when i got it to clear it all away, but i'm reading it doesn't actually come with much...thoughts?

 

I guess it's a matter of opinion. I thought mine came with a lot of bloatware. Nothing uninstall can't fix though.

 

BTW, for everyone's information, processor is not soldered on motherboard, at least on my T510. I followed the on-site tech step-by-step when my motherboard was replaced. He simply take out the CPU as you would from a desktop motherboard, cleaned the thermal paste, and reapply my silver-arctic before putting it in a new board. So no hassle at all if any one is thinking about post-sale upgrade in the future.

Nonetheless, for the OP's case, I think it serves better to call and you can definitely either make the change or return the laptop once you receive it without having to pay for restocking.